Blogs from Cervantes, Western Australia, Australia, Oceania - page 4

Gene and I decided to take the 250 kilometer drive north of Perth to see yet another of Australia’s unique attractions, the Pinnacles. According to the Lonely Planet guide, the main town closest to the Pinnacles is Cervantes, located 17 kilometers northwest of the attraction. Not wanting to make the long trek twice in one day, we phoned the first hotel listed under accommodations, the Cervantes Lodge. An overly eager voice answered on the first ring, reporting that there were still rooms available and that we could have the ocean view room if we booked by telephone. Trying our best to stay within budget, yet avoid hostels at all costs, we decided not to look any further and made a reservation for one night’s stay. Cruising into the town of Cervantes with a population of only ... read more

We overnachtten in het Pinnacles Caravan Park - Aragon Street - Cervantes WA 6511 Tel: 08 - 9652 7060, E-mail: cervpinncpark@westnet.com.au Ligging: aan de rand van het centrum, maar vlakbij zee. Visitor Centre, supermarkt, bottle shop en Internet waren op wandelafstand. Prijs en wat inbegrepen: 38$ voor een powered site voor 3 personen Persoonlijke beoordeling: het sanitair was OK, maar weinig drooglijnen en de kampeerkeuken / TV zaal viel erg klein uit. Men was er niet vriendelijk noch behulpzaam bij de receptie. We gingen kijken naar de stromatolieten in Lake Thetis, die zijn bereikbaar met een gewoon voertuig, en zelfs te voet. Dit is niet spectaculair om te zien, er was weinig informatie te lezen, maar boeiende ons erg omdat het zo een uniek verschijnsel is (Zie Hamalin Pool) We bezochten de Pinnacles en verschillende Nationale ... read more

I was in Cervantes by lunchtime, and checked into the (justifiably) award-winning Pinnacles Backpackers. Cervantes is so named because of a ship that was wrecked off the coast, however the local council took things one step further by deciding to name all the streets after places and people mentioned in de Cervantes' 17th century classic "Don Quixote". Cervantes relies on tourism generated by the nearby Nambung National Park, which contains the Pinnacles desert, a sandy expanse dotted with thousands of menhir-like limestone pillars. The pillars were originally formed underground, but the constant inshore winds have gradually blown away the surrounding sands to reveal them. There's a 3km one-way loop winding through the Pinnacles, with regular parking bays where you can stop and go for a wander. Especially when the sun drops lower in the sky and ... read more

Started the day by another visit to Namburg, to check out The Pinnacles in broad daylight, they're really fascinating. We then headed south 2 hours to Cerventes, to Yanchep National Park, famed for it's kangaroos and koalas. We were not disappointed! We saw 5/6 snoozy koalas up trees, either sleeping, nibbling eucalyptus leaves or climbing around. These little guys are so cute, but frustratingly shy! No fear of them coming down to ground level. The kangaroos, however, are a different matter. The roos are wary of humans, especially when they have joeys, but still hang-out and hop around within feet of you. One very excited D!! Finished off the day with a short drive back to Perth, and the best hotel in WA, The Emperor's Crown, for 5 nights.... read more

It’s true what they say about Perth, it is very windy. The photos in this blog as we travelled further down the West Coast look like some kind of paradise and they would have been except for one thing……..the wind. We have managed, although some people we have met haven’t fared as well, bent tent poles and the like. We have gradually become accustomed to the cooler weather, low to mid 20’s and have largely managed to escape any wet weather. The weather today in Fremantle is more like it - 32degrees. Thanks Ange, very entertaining and informative and … entertaining. Well better get on with it. I’m typing from the deck of a cafe because its easier than balancing on an unergonomic chair. (Yes, it’s a real word.) We are currently in Hopetoun which makes ... read more